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My first 6-string --- ?

M

Manatopain

Aug 31, 2010
61
0
Denmark
#1
Hey guys, im planning to buy my first 6 string bass in about a month, and im stuck between some options!

My first, and what seems to me, the best value for money, is the TUNE TWB63
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

i have also looked quite a bit on the Yamaha TRB 1006
http://www.thomann.de/gb/yamaha_trb1006_nt.htm

And ofcourse the Ibanez SR-506
http://www.thomann.de/gb/ibanez_sr506_bm.htm

These are the three i have narrowed my search down to, and as said, i currently favor the TUNE.

What do you think?
do you got any other basses in mind (Has to be around 1450 USD / 1070 euro).
I live in Denmark, so ofcourse, european dealers is favored.
 
#2
I have no experience with tune basses, so I can't help you there. However I'm quite familiar with the other two. Yamaha is a well built, nice looking instrument. The tone is quite generic. Not bad but maybe lacking a bit in personality. To some it's bonus though. The trb's used to have wide, 19 mm string spacing but it has been reduced with these if my memory serves me right. I prefer the tighter spacing. Also, 35" inch scale.

The ibanez has a very thin and flat neck and a really small body. Feels odd to me while sitting. Modernish tone. 34" scale. While the B string isn't horrible, I'd say the yamaha does that better.

I don't think you can go horribly wrong with either of these instruments. I'd probably go with the yamaha, but you really are better of if your tried both as they do have quite differend feel.

I have to say, I was in a quite similar situation, I was looking for an upgrade 6er that wouldn't kill me financially and eventually realized US is where it's at. 1000 E goes a really long way in the used market across the pond.
 
#3
I agree with Kipaste, the Yamaha is nice, but a bit generic sounding. That series is not at all like the original TRB neck throughs (my all time favorite). That said, I've seen the newer JP series basses used in the 1000-1200 range, and those are a great deal. Not sure if you're looking to only buy new though.

The Ibanez is fine, though I don't particularly care for the string spacing. I also tend to think that Ibanez basses sound like their electronics. More versatile than the Yam you listed, but still not it's own voice.

Tunes are very nice basses. I've found quite a bit of variability in them though...not all are created equal. If the link you sent is in fact their higher end Caseopiea, I've played it. It reminded me very much of the original Yamaha TRBs, so I thought it was great.

If you're looking in the $1400 USD range, I think there are a number of other options out there for you. There is way more variety in 6 strings these days than there used to be, especially for that kind of coin. What type of music do you play, do you have a particular style or sound that you're after?
 
#4
I usually play everything from slap to jazz solo's. The reason for why (and how i discovered) i like that TUNE is because of this cover of Alain Caron's song, Slam the clown , which has the sound that im after.
Im looking for a sound that has a tight bottom, without too much mid and treble (very much like the linked video).
Though - the bass has to be good at the high notes, cause as said, i also play solo's and various arpeggios.
 
#5
I have the low end Ibanez 6 String (GSR206), I don't think i'd change anything about it. I can only imagine how good a higher end model would be. I can't speak for the other models but Ibanez makes some dang good ones.
 
#6
I've played that particular Ibanez before, it is very lightweight in the body, and a thin neck for a bass, I wouldn't say that is good though, it gives a very thin tone, the balance of the bass seems foreign. With either of the other two basses I'd say you would be getting your money's worth, they both look very nice and solid, nice eqing, both all around good build. It really comes down to your pick between the two.

And I'm not picking on Ibanez's, I play a SRT805DX, but I don't believe that the quality of that one in particular is worth it.
 
#7
Manatopain said:
I usually play everything from slap to jazz solo's. The reason for why (and how i discovered) i like that TUNE is because of this cover of Alain Caron's song, Slam the clown http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSo06Y78xvc , which has the sound that im after.
Im looking for a sound that has a tight bottom, without too much mid and treble (very much like the linked video).
Though - the bass has to be good at the high notes, cause as said, i also play solo's and various arpeggios.
Click to expand...

Ah, if you're after an Alain-ish sound, then the Tune is probably for you. That particular clip you sent reminds me of an early TRB sound, and certainly what I recall from the nice Tune I played. Good luck!
 
#8
Find a nice Peavey TL-6 on evilbay for about $500.00 (not sure what your exchange rate is) and put the rest of your cash into a retirement account, the stock market, beer, hookers, amphetamines, or whatever else you find necessary at the time. Kicks the crap out of my Modulus Q6 and Carvin LB76 though the Carvin is a pretty good low cost option as well, though the electronics sometimes leave a little to be desired.
 
#9
I just looked around on a danish ebay-like site, and found this [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] a Yamaha TRB6II for only 900 bucks! (exchanged value). This seems like a bargain, since what i know of, these basses cost ~3000+ USD retail.
Its from 1998 and the pictures seems fine, what do you think?
 
#10
I own a Warwick Pro series Carvette 6-string ash and I highly recommed it. It's made in Korea but I don't see much difference on the quality compared to German ones. It's light and it has narrow string spacing, wich I personally like. I have heard bad things about MEC pickups, but i think that the bass sounds nice; clean and articulate. The bad thing about it is neck dive due to it's short upper horn. But if that doesn't bother you, you should get one. I got it for 900 € new.
 
#12
It's most likely a great bass, those japanese ones are really well built, solid instruments. And if it plays well, I'd consider it be a bit of bargain on Scandinavian market. I didn't get what preamp it now has though. But I'd be surprised if that thing wasn't considerably better than the new yammie and ibanez. These are the ones with wider string spacing though and a very flat fretboard radius. To me it feels like a landing strip but some love this basses for that exact reason.

+1 for used TL-6. Will not be found from Europe though.
 
#14
I have always been a fan of the early TRB 6 basses. I owned one of the slightly earlier series 1 basses with the narrow pickups and 34" scale, and I just loved it. Sold it, but missed it... So I picked up another one recently. Its got the 19mm string spacing, and I'm swapping out the electronics for a Glockenklang preamp and Bartolini pickups. This as a necessity cause the bridge pickup was DOA. The preamp was, in my opinion, the only lack of this instrument earlier, as it is quite noisy.

I have limited experience with the newer TRBs, though. But I can vouch for the versatility of the older ones. The ash body gives a great snappy sound, and I could get this bass to sound like anything from Marcus Miller to Jaco (he did play lots of fretted bass, too!)

And the new preamp is probably better than the old noisy one.

Of the ones you have listed, I'd definitely go with the Yamaha. The Tune might be good, too, I have no experience with those. But I'd choose the yamaha over the Ibanez every day... The only six string ibanez I'd consider would be the BTB series.

I would also consider the peavey cirrus and maybe you could get a Warwick at that price, too. But they will give more alternatives, not necessarily better. I have owned a Warwick thumb sixer many years ago, and it is also a very good bass. This was early 90s, so those are many times as expensive as the yamaha. The Cirrus is also a great bass, but is more expensive than the yamaha you put up.

I'd probably take the yamaha and save the rest of the money.
 
#15
Manatopain said:
Hey guys, im planning to buy my first 6 string bass in about a month, and im stuck between some options!

My first, and what seems to me, the best value for money, is the TUNE TWB63
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

i have also looked quite a bit on the Yamaha TRB 1006
http://www.thomann.de/gb/yamaha_trb1006_nt.htm

And ofcourse the Ibanez SR-506
http://www.thomann.de/gb/ibanez_sr506_bm.htm

These are the three i have narrowed my search down to, and as said, i currently favor the TUNE.

What do you think?
do you got any other basses in mind (Has to be around 1450 USD / 1070 euro).
I live in Denmark, so ofcourse, european dealers is favored.
Click to expand...

You have narrowed to an excellent choice of basses. They all are great for various reasons.

1. Tune. Wonderful basses that I love because they are like clones of my Alembic. (at a fraction of the cost) Well made and if the hifi Alembic thing tickles you, the Tune is the one.

2. Ibanez, is of course the standard among basses for a modern sound the way Fender is for old school. It's cheaper and still hard to go wrong in a general sense. It's probably not as exciting or as quality as the other two but it's the standard.

3. Yamaha. This is a very underated bass. An amazingly well built workhorse of a bass. Not quite as exciting as the tune nor as standard as the Ibanez, but this bass delivers and will do so for a LONG time.

If possible you need to play them all and see what floats your boat. There's a lot of difference here in neck feel and tone. Only you can decide what you like.
 
#16
Manatopain said:
I just looked around on a danish ebay-like site, and found this [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] a Yamaha TRB6II for only 900 bucks! (exchanged value). This seems like a bargain, since what i know of, these basses cost ~3000+ USD retail.
Its from 1998 and the pictures seems fine, what do you think?
Click to expand...

That TRB6ii is definitely a step up from the 1006 model. I personally don't care for the pickup and preamplifier voicing in the 6ii with the soap bars, vs the original single coil narrows. Rest assured though it will be a better made and better played bass than the 1006.

I think the Tune is better overall though.
 
#17
Manatopain said:
What do you guys think of the Yamaha TRB6II that i linked?
Its from '98 and should have the new pre-amp.
Is it more worth than the TRB 1006? cause it wont be for sale for too long, so if its actually a bargain, i have to buy it soon!
Click to expand...

Buy it right now! I have one and I like it. Very nice bass for the $$$.

Specs:

3 piece maple neck-2 (thin) mahogany stripes/rosewood fb
3 piece ash body
2 Yamaha humbuckers/3 band Yamaha preamp
35" scale
18mm string spacing







Here is my 1998 trb6II:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#18
Been thinking about this tonight:D
I'm also in Scandinavia (Norway), and that bass is a steal. You won't have a problem getting what you paid for it back. So I'd get it right now. You'll like it, I'm sure. If not, just sell it and get something else later. :-) you won't get a much better bass at that price
 
#19
Of the basses you listed, the Tune smashes them all easily. I have played all of them and the Tune is the only one I would consider owning by a considerable distance. Tune (korean) basses aren't just good for the money they're good. Period. They feel great, sound great, and look great. Their points are their preamps. But, it's very difficult to find basses in that price range with a really good a active preamp. The same applies to the other basses. By no means is it bad, but it would be the first thing I upgraded. The only thing I could see as a possible issue is the width of the fretboard it's the widest of the three you're looking at. Nothing crazy but not every digs 19mm 6ers.

This is just one guys opinion but I've spent quite a bit of time with all three basses.
 
#20
Kwesi said:
Of the basses you listed, the Tune smashes them all easily. I have played all of them and the Tune is the only one I would consider owning by a considerable distance. Tune (korean) basses aren't just good for the money they're good. Period. They feel great, sound great, and look great. Their points are their preamps. But, it's very difficult to find basses in that price range with a really good a active preamp. The same applies to the other basses. By no means is it bad, but it would be the first thing I upgraded. The only thing I could see as a possible issue is the width of the fretboard it's the widest of the three you're looking at. Nothing crazy but not every digs 19mm 6ers.

This is just one guys opinion but I've spent quite a bit of time with all three basses.
Click to expand...

Good input. I have not played Tune basses, so as mentioned, I cannot really evaluate them. I believe your assessment, though. They are probably great basses, and Korea is today what Japan was a few years ago. Usually most of the basses (serious ones at least) are good quality basses.

However, I don't think (correct me if I'm wrong here) Tune basses are easily available in Scandinavia unless they are imported. Which brings the price up. Compared to the Yamaha, it is bound to get a bit more expensive. I still think that Yamaha would be a great starting point, given that it is pretty cheap *and* local... and should be easy to part with if it isn't what the OT like. :)
 

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